FIG. 1 shows such a rectifier with midpoint feed which is known from the prior art, the input being formed by the input terminals A and B while the output is formed by the output terminals P and M. In this arrangement, the output terminal P corresponds to the positive pole and the output terminal M corresponds to the negative pole. In order to be able to operate a rectifier at the output of a free-running inverter, i.e. the switching transistors are driven by direct feedback of the load current, it is desirable for the character of the rectifier following the inverter to be slightly inductive.
The rectifier shown in FIG. 1 comprises a series circuit comprising a first coupling capacitor C.sub.1 and a second coupling capacitor C.sub.2, the midpoint of which is connected to the input terminal B. The input terminal A is connected via an inductor L.sub.1 to the midpoint of a series circuit comprising a first diode D.sub.1 and a second diode D.sub.2. Each diode has a polarity-reversal capacitor C.sub.D1 or C.sub.D2 connected in parallel with it. The series circuit comprising the first and the second coupling capacitor C.sub.1, C.sub.2 is connected to the output terminal P via an inductor L.sub.2. Connected in parallel with the output is a storage capacitor C.sub.3. By way of example, a series circuit comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes is shown as the load.
In the circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the inductor L.sub.2 assumes the function of a smoothing inductor, i.e. it smoothes the direct current provided at the output terminals P, M, while the inductor L.sub.1 caters for the inductive character of the rectifier.
In the circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the inductors L1 and L2 in particular, have a disadvantageous effect, since they are by nature relatively large in comparison with other components and therefore take up a lot of the limited space on a circuit board. Furthermore, they are expensive and complicated to install as compared with SMD components.